I knoiw its hot now but.....winter will come

treasureforu(NC 7)June 29, 2009

I know that I am asking this way ahead of time but winter will come again so .... I am wanting to know how to winter my begonias. I have no idea what kind I have or anything and I have gotten them from a couple of different places but what will I need to do with the ones in pots this winter if I dont have good light and such for growing them inside?

I think I am wishing for cooler weather. I love summer but hate the heat.

Wow, you are early. Anyway you will need either some good lights (shoplights will do but get T8 instead of T12 since T12 is being phased out and T8 are more efficient and give more light per watt) or a window exposure that has good light coming in for several hours. You may need to provide humidity depending on what kind of begonias you have. Some begonias are prone to mildew which presents another set of problems. Anyway there are many begonias that do just fine under lights and normal house air.

Opps! I mispelled my title and must have forgotten to hit submit when I tried to answer this before. LOL! Anyway, thanks for the growing tip. I don't have the lights right now to keep them growing but I was glad to hear that the lights would work because I will add them when we get some other lighting done.

I was wondering if I could just store my plants in the garage for the winter. Some of my begonias planted in the yard last year came back (I am in NC) so I was thinking if the plants in the pots were sheltered a bit better, they might survive. Anyone know or want to make a guess? Thanks all.

if the roots get no frost they would be fine. Take into consideration that if they are stored in pots they will freeze easier in pots than in the ground. If some came back perhaps all you need is a thick layer of mulch over them to protect them. Fallen leaves make an excellent mulch as long as they are not acidic like oak leaves. leave the annuals or perennials around them long so they won't be blown away and put them on dry so they have air pockets, and wait until all the mice and critters have gone into hibernation so they are not nibbling on your plants all winter.